Ball game apparatus



July 15, 1941. o. LOWENHERZ BALL GAME APPARATUS.

Filed July 16, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR. Z OWENHEEZ July 15, 1941. o. LOWENH ERZ 2,249,556

' BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 0509/? ZOWENHERZ.

FL ZNVENTOR.

Patented July 15, 1941 UNHTED srres BALL GAME APPARATUS Oscar Lowenherz, New York, N. Y., assignor to Richard Groetchen, Chicago; Ill.

Application July 16, 1940, Serial No. 345,692

Claims.

This invention concerns improvements in and relating to game apparatus and more particularly to ball game apparatus.

It is anobject of the present invention to pro-' vide means for raising a ball alternately orstep by step from one level to another level, whereby the ball may be moved upwardly from the lowermost level through intermediate levels to the uppermost level, all said levels being arranged in stair-like formation. I

It is a further objectof the present invention to provide such levels at respective upper edges of sets of blocks or elements, one of said setsv of blocks being movable relatively to another of said sets.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for guiding said ball along said upper edges forming runways or tracks which are inclined with respect'to one another.

Itis a still further objectof the invention to provide means for reciprocally moving-one set of blocks while another set of blocks remains in the position of rest.

Yet another object of the presentinvention is to provide means for scoring purposes preferably adjacent the endof each but the first or lower-j most track or runway.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide mechanism including a handle for alternately moving predetermined blocks or elements, the latter being also laterally guided to insure proper sliding movement of said blocks in upward and downward directions relatively to the remaining blocks.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of runways for said ball; which may be enabled to roll from one to another of said runways, the latter being in'clinedly arranged and in alternate relation with respect to each other. I

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a runway at the upper edge of each block, said runway being declined from the forward edge toward the rearward edge and in the direction toward the following block whereby the ball, when rolling along said runway, isprevented from falling down over the forward edge of said block at which said runway is disposed.

- These and other obiects'an'd advantages of the invention'will appear from the following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawings which illustrate certain forms of embodiments thereof. These forms are shownfor the purpose of illustrating the invention vsince the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be; variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings: Y Fig. 1 is 'a front elevational View, partlyin section,of the game apparatus according tothe present invention, the lowermost portion of said apparatus being omitted, the portionshown in section being taken along lines |l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view. taken along lines 3-3 of Fig.1. 7

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4ofFig.1.

Fig. 5 is apartial sectional .view on enlarged scale of a ball bearing employable in connection with the invention. V v Fig. 6 is'a sectional view along lines 6'6' of Fig. 5. 'i Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic front elevational view illustrating the position of one set of elevated lglocks relatively to aset ofblocks in rest posi- 1011.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic front elevational View showing blocks which were previously at rest position and are now in raised position relatively to'th'e blocks which are now lowered into. rest position. v

Fig. 9 is a sectionalview i f, Fig, 10 shows a modified form embodying the invention. v

The game apparatus made in accordance with this invention consists of a cabinet 25 having the conventional 'coin operating mechanism 26 and ball lifting and ejecting mechanism 27. At each side of the upper portion 28, of' theapparatus there are provided labyrinth slots 29 and 3Bfor a purpose which will be explained more in detail further below. a Within the space provided in the center portion 3|"of the apparatus, there are laterally disposed, movable and substantially vertically extending blo'ck's'tl, 33', 34; 35, 36, 31, 38, 39 having runways orjtracks at their upper'edges, and further astationary" block 49,'the upper edge of which forming a runway or track.

The upper; portion 28-of the apparatus hastwo taken along line I end walls 4| and 42, rear wall 43. and afront plate or glass window 44.

Center portion 31 has two side walls 45 and 46, along which said movable sets of blocks may be guided. A and B designate respective sets of movable blocks, all A blocks being movable together and all B blocks being movable together, and consequently all A blocks being relatively movable to said B blocks. The side walls 45 and 46 are further provided with ball escape ports P.

Normally the blocks 32 to 39 inclusive rest on respective supports 50 and 5|, which are securely mounted within the lower compartment of the apparatus.

A lifting knob 52 forms one end of a shaft 53, which is rotatably mounted in said lower portion of the cabinet 25. Shaft 53 carries two sets of lifting arms or fingers 54, 55, 56,5 1,'and 58, 59, 68, 6|, respectively, said sets being designated by letters L and L1, respectively (Figs; 1, 7, 8').

As clearly illustrated in Fig. 7, when the knob 52 is rotated in the direction of arrow 52, the set A comprising blocks 32, 34, 36, 38 will be lifted by set L of said lifting fingers 54, 55, 56, 51 engaging the lower edges, respectively, of said blocks.

Fig. '8 shows knob 52 swung in opposite directioni'indicated by arrow '63, thereby permitting set A comprising blocks 32, 34, 36,38 to remain in rest position'with their respective lower edges on supports 58 and 5|, but causingby lifting fingers 58, 59, 60, 6| (set-L1) which engage the lower edges,'respectively,' of blocks 33,35,- 3l,"39, the ggisingof set B comprising said blocks 33,35, 31,

Stops 64 and 65 are arranged in said lower portionof cabinet 25 to prevent the sets of lifting fingers Land Li fromswinging clear around.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

After a coin (not shown) has been inserted in coin slot mechanism 26 all game balls are released and return to a starting point which is conventional in machines of this type.

Thepusher 21 is then pressed inwardly therebyo'perating in a well known manner plunger 66 and causing lifting of a ball 61 which willpass through the opening 63 of side wall 46 and will roll down on lowermost runway or track 5901? block 32. r

Block 32 is provided at its opposite longitudinal end with a ball stop I8 against which ball 61 abuts. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 9, all surfaces of the runways formed at the upper faces of said blocks are slightly declined, slanting from the forward edge or'corner 92 toward the rearward edge or corner 93 and in th'e'direction toward the following block or' wall 43. thereby permitting the ball 6! to roll toward the rear and away from the respective front or forward corner 92 of each block.

Ball 61 may now be lifted to the height of block 33 (the latter remaining in rest position) whereby the ball will roll over and is transferred to'the runway provided on the upper level orface of block 33, rolling now down on the latter in the direction of arrowll (Fig.7) l

- It 'isapurposeof this game of skill to change and'reverse the lifting movement of set of blocks A with respect to set of blocks 13 and vice versa, this raising is to be done swiftly enough topre vent the ball-from reaching the side walls 45 or 46, in which case the ball would entenfor instance, slot 12 and thus be lost to the player. By alternately lowering and raising the sets of blocks A and B, respectively, it is possible to reach the highest runway of block 40, thereby obtaining the highest score for this particular ball. 4 a

Assuming that the ball 61 on account of skillful manipulation of said block sets by the operator has reached the uppermost track or runway 13 of block 48, the ball will then roll down the inclined runway 13 and enter through slot 14 into passageway 15, falling down on the inclined portion 16. where it will roll toward the front and fall into the score counting receptacle ll,

However, should the ball be lost before reaching block 40, for example at runway 11a of block 31, the ball would then enter slot 18 in side wall 46, roll down the passage 19, emerge through the slot and roll toward the front into the score counting receptacle 8i, which in this case would indicate a lower value than the heretofore mentioned score counting receptacle l1.

' Eachball of a predetermined number of balls allowed for each game will therefore be lost in any one of the score counting receptacles, thus making the game solely depending on the skill of the player. 7

' Afterall the balls have been played, the balls may be released for new operation in a conventional manner by means of the coin slot mechanism 26, thus preparing the game for the next operation.

The'game apparatus illustrated in Fig. 10 is based onthe same principle asthe apparatus heretofore described. However, the upper runways are'respectively progressively shortened in length (from the lowermost" to the uppermost level), thereby requiring still more skill for manipulation of the runways of the movable blocks.

As it is desirable to avoid as much as possible friction at the Various blocks when they are raised or lowered, it will be of advantage to maintain a clearance S between the blocks. This clearance may be obtained, for'insta'nce, by providing the sets'of'blocks A and B with vertical grooves along both end surfaces 86 where they contact with the side walls 45 and 46, respectively (Figs. 5 and 6). These grooves 85 are of the same extent as balls 81 forming bearings and which are'kept in close engagement with said grooves by means of a spring 88 within the housing 89, which spring urges ball 81 toward the respective groove.

To absorb the shocks of the'ball falling down from one of the passages, for instance from passage 19 on the inclined board of partition 98, it maybe advantageous to provide rubber cushions 9| at said board.

It'is to be understood that ports P or the slots referred to hereinabove are connectedwith the scoring receptacles through passages forming channel means which may have any configuration. It is further apparent that the setsor groups of blocks or elements A and B may be directly supported (instead of employing supports 50,51) by shaft 53, the lifting fingers L and L1 extending laterally thereof for engagement with the respective groups of blocks A and B (Fig.2). r v

It is also understood that the runways or tracks may be of any suitable dimensions and shape, bearing however in mind that said runways must be of such character that the planes in which adjacent runways lie may be madeto intersect when said adjacent runways are relatively. moved.

' While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of th invention as applied to'the above embodiments, it will be understood that various admissions and substitutions-and changes in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated and its operationpmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: l. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of sets of blocks, first set and second set, respectively, said blocks being movably mounted and successively arranged with respect to each other forming a stairlike structure, each of said blocks having an upper edge, said upper edges of said first set of blocks being inclinedly disposed with respect to said upper edges of said second set of blocks, a member rotatably mounted and supporting said sets of blocks, and means connected to said member and engageable with either of said sets of blocks for raising and lowering one of said sets of blocks while the other of said sets of blocks is at rest position on said member, whereby a ball fed to an upper edge of one of said blocks may be lifted to the upper edge of another of said blocks.

2. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising oblique and movably mounted track means arranged side by side and adapted to receive a ball thereon and to guide the same along said track means, and means engageable with said track means and adapted to raise and lower said track means relatively to one another of said track means whereby said ball when received on one of said track means may be transferred to said other of said track means at a predetermined relative position of said one to said other of said track means, and channel 7 means at an end of predetermined track means through which said ball may pass for scoring purposes.

3. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of successive blocks in sidewise arrangement, first, second and third block, respectively, said blocks being movably mounted and being each provided with an upper face at levels differing from each other, the upper face of said first block and the upper face of said third block being inclined in substantially the same longitudinal direction thereof, the upper face of said second block being inclined in longitudinal direction opposite to that of said upper faces of said first and said third blocks, means rotatably mounted to move said first and said third blocks together and relatively to said second block, and channel means adjacent an end of said upper faces of said second and said third blocks, whereby a ball received by the upper face of one of said blocks may be transferred to the adjacent block to the rear of the one on which the ball is received and further to its respective channel means for scoring purposes.

4. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of laterally arranged blocks, first, second and third block, respectively, said blocks being movably mounted and being each provided with an upper face at I levels differing from each other, each upper face of said blocks declining from the forward edge of each block tothe rearward face thereof, said upper face of said first block and said upper face of said third block being inclined in substantially the same longitudinal direction thereof, said upper faces of said second block being inclined in longitudinal direction opposite to that of said upper faces of said first and said third blocks, means rotatable mounted to move said first and said third blocks together and relatively to said second block, and channel means adjacent an end of said upper face of said second and said third block, wherebya ball received 'by said upper face of one of said blocks may roll off by said movement of said blocks to the adjacent block to the rear of the one onwhich the ball is received and further to its respective channel means for scoring purposes.

5. A ball game apparatus comprising laterally arranged elements having different heights and mounted for vertical movement, the' upper face of each element forming a ball runway declining from the forward toward the rearward 'corner of each upper face, said upper faces inclining in longitudinal direction relatively to each other in such manner that the plane of the upper face of one elementmay intersect with the plane of the upper face of the next succeeding element but is substantially parallel with the plane of the upper face of the element adjacent the next succeeding element, and means rotatably mounted to move said one element and said element adjacent the next succeeding element together and relatively to said next succeeding element, whereby a ball received on said runway of said one element may be transferred to at least said runway of the next succeeding element.

6. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising substantially vertically extending blocks, said blocks being laterally arranged With respect to one another and having each an upper edge, each of said upper edges being sloping with respect to each other, said upper edges being adapted to receive a ball thereon and to guide said ball therealong, and means engageable with said blocks and adapted to move in substantially vertical direction one of said blocks with its upper edge relatively to another of said blocks with its upper edge whereby said ball when received on said one edge may be transferred to said other edge at a predetermined position of said one of said blocks relatively to said other of said blocks.

'7. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising at least two track means mounted for substantially vertical movement, said track means being inclined with respect to one another and arranged side by side, and means swingably mounted and engageable, respectively, with a portion of said track means, whereby said track means may be shifted vertically relatively to one another to transfer a ball received on one of said track means to the other of said track means.

8. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising at least two track means in juxtaposition and mounted for slidable substantially vertical movement, said track means being inclined with respect to one another, rotatably mounted means provided with at least two fingers, and channel means at an end of at least one of said track means, said fingers being engageable, respectively, with said track means in predetermined positions of said rotatably mounted means whereby one of said track means may be moved by oneof said fingers to substantially vertically slide relatively to the other of said track means so that a ball received on said one of said track means may be shifted to the other of said track means and may roll thereon toward andv into said channel means for scoring purposes. W

9. A game device of the character described comprising a plurality of successively arranged track means, said track means being each provided with an oblique upper edge, said upper edges being disposed respectively in planes different from each other, at least two of said track means being movably mounted in unison and arranged in spaced apart relation, another track means being movably supported and positioned within the space between said two track means, and manually operable means adapted to move said two trackmeans together and relatively to said other track means, the upper edges of said two track means sloping in a direction opposite to that of the upper edge of said other track means, whereby upon actuation of said operable means a ballwhen received on one of said upper edges of said track means may be shifted to an edge of its adjacent track means.

10. A ball game apparatus of the character described comprising movably mounted track means successively arranged and substantially side-by-side, each of said track means being provided with a sloping upper edge, said edges being positioned respectively in planes difierent in height from one another, the lowermost edge being of a different length than that of the uppermost edge, and means rotatably mounted and engageable with said track means, respectively, and adapted to raise and lower said track means with their upper edges relatively to one another whereby a ball when received on an upper edge of one of said track means may be transferred to an upper edge of an adjacent track means at a predetermined relative position of said one track means to said adjacent track means.

OSCAR LOWENHERZ. 

